it's not too late to make a resolution...

It's Not Too Late To Make A Good Resolution For 2014:

Dating your spouse never ends!

Happy New Year! Each time the New Year is about to cross over, we think, “Where the heck did the year go?” What we are really saying is, “I hope this year will be better than last year.” The beauty of this evaluation is it provides a clean slate and gives us the opportunity to do even better the next year. What a better way to kick off 2014 with resolutions that help make your marriage better than last year.  

A few weeks ago, I did a MMM post called 5 Marital Ground Rules for a Better Marriage. The 3rd ground rule I presented was, Go on a date at least twice a month. This may sound totally cliché but the truth is dating your spouse should never end. Marriages that have this marital rule (and stick to it!) are marriages that last because it keeps their relationship solid and growing.

I know for many it can be difficult to schedule even a few dates a month. It is easy to allow life to get in the way of your marriage. Work, kids, extracurricular activities, and just everyday life slowly tend to get in the way of the marriage which makes it a challenge to create time for dates. Nevertheless, the truth is dating your spouse always breaks the monotony and mundane of life. 

Since dating your spouse is vitally important to the health and longevity of your marriage, why not make it one of your resolutions this year? Here are 3 tips to help you make this resolution a reality.

1)    Schedule the date and stick to it. I suggest you put your date on the calendar and DO NOT RESCHEDULE IT. The truth is we do things in our life that we feel are worth doing. Going on dates is worthwhile and important. When you and your spouse agree that dates are important to your marriage relationship, then scheduling and sticking to it does not become burdensome.

2)    Communicate and remind. If you have children, invest in a baby sitter to help make your dates sacred. Also, your kids are never too young or too old to hear you tell them, “Monday night is our date night and we are excited about it.” Getting your kids to understand this “rule” communicates and reminds them that your marriage relationship is extremely important to you and them.

3)    You don’t have to overdo it. Your date nights can be a formal dinner or a limo drive through Napa Valley but they don’t have to be. Money should never be an issue for your date nights. If money is tight spending a few hours together at a park or on a walk can certainly qualify for a date day/night. Doing something is what is most important. 

Let’s be real… marriage takes work to make it work. Dating each other is an important aspect of marriage health and longevity. What a better way to kick off 2014- Go on a date at least twice a month. Implementing these 3 tips into your relationship today will turn this resolution into a reality.       

 

Cheers,
Rob Lane

Marriage Mechanic
 

Rob is proud that his wife Cara plays an instrumental part of what he does. They have a combined 20+ years helping individuals and couples with their relationships and marriages. Rob has a BA in Christian Education from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology and is an Online Psychology Professor for Grand Canyon University. Rob is also certified marriage counselors in the PREPARE/ENRICH program. He is a non-denominational ordained minister and officiates wedding ceremonies. Rob combines his experience and education along with his unique approach that is sincerely relational, empowering, hopeful, honest and compassionate. To learn more about Rob, The Marriage Lane and his approach read here.


*Lead photo created using the app A Beautiful Mess, available for sale here in the iTunes app store! Thanks ABM app for the creative tool!